I was driving in town the other day and passed over a bridge that is extremely popular for fishing. I happen to glance at the two people fishing and did a double take. The pair that was fishing on this wonderfully sunny day was a woman and young girl. The girl was dressed in what appeared to be a sequin gown. And not just any sequins…rainbow colors from head to toe.

Now, I have to admit there was a small “what the f%@&?!” moment when I first saw her. But that quickly changed to a smile when I realized that young girl was having a great time. Her thoughts weren’t with what others would think. She wanted to dress up AND go fishing so why the hell not? It probably never crossed her mind not to do these two things together.

As I drove away – I started to think more about that young girl. I wanted to go back to the bridge, pull over, and beg her to hold on tight to that beautiful, creative spark. That spark is what makes so many people stand in awe of children. My oldest son is 3 years old and I constantly marvel at his ability to put himself out there – to wake up each morning with a renewed sense of optimism that today is going to be great. I ask my son what his favorite part of the day was as part of our daily bedtime routine or ask him to tell me something that made him happy that day. Every night he has the same answer for me – “Everything.”

There are days when I am feeling beaten down but when I hear that word come from his mouth the load lightens. I will never get tired of hearing it especially since I know there will be a day when that isn’t his answer. A day when something or someone will chip away at his “everything” and I will desperately try to build it back up – to keep that spark and optimism intact.

As adults, it is so hard to keep that spark and optimism. Your free spirited nature tends to be replaced with obligations and responsibilities. But I urge you – as you go into this week to remember this young girl and her whimsical thoughts. Remember my son and his ability to renew his optimism at the start of each day.

Take 5 minutes each morning, before the obligations of the day pile on, to envision what it would feel like to add one spark filled action to each day. It could be something as small as singing at the top of your lungs to your favorite song during your commute. It could be getting excited about an accomplishment instead of questioning it. It could be making a point to find something to laugh/smile about every day. Hopefully, these actions will start to bring you back to that point in your life when the favorite moments outweigh the obligations. You never know – someone may ask you some day what the favorite part of your day was – and wouldn’t it be so great to answer “everything?”